


Wolves of Firgrove

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 19:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10748517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Mr Sands reveals his new plan to Sabine.





	Wolves of Firgrove

Through the centuries, the gatehouse of Firgrove had been used to watch for wolves. But it had never been used for this particular reason. Not until just recently, anyway.

Sabine straightened up as her sharp eyes caught the side of a huge, shaggy black wolf coming slowly up the path.

“Finally,” said Sabine, coming to stand in the middle of the gatehouse. She was glad that nobody else was on watch, but that was the entire reason why she was the only one on watch tonight. “You took your time.”

“Open the gates, Sabine,” said the wolf, looking up at her.

“What’s the password?” Sabine trilled. The wolf growled, but Sabine only continued smiling down at him.

“Sabine,” he growled warningly. 

“That’s not the password~” she said. He snarled. “Don’t be too loud now, you don’t want anyone to come out and chase you away. Or worse.”

“I’ll regenerate anyway,” said the wolf.

“Yes, but you’ll also have to explain yourself. And Garnok knows that you’re supposed to be the responsible one,” said Sabine. The wolf growled again, his lips pulling back from razor-sharp teeth, and then sighed.

“Sabine is the best,” he mumbled.

“I didn’t hear you~” Sabine trilled, leaning on the front of the gatehouse and grinning ear to ear.

“Sabine is the best,” said the wolf, a little louder. “Now let me in!”

“Alright, alright, keep your fur on,” said Sabine. She pulled the lever to lower the inner gates, and then pushed the one that would open the gates to Firgrove. When the wolf was safely inside, she closed the outer gates. Then, she tossed down the bundle of clothing that she’d been keeping safe and dry up here.

A shroud of blackness filled the space below the gatehouse, and Sabine tried not to cringe too much at the cracking and crunching sounds she heard below. When the noises went away, she could finally speak.

“So, how goes the hunting?” asked Sabine.

“Not well,” said the wolf-turned-man as the rustling sound of clothing being put on could be heard. “I am having to hunt farther and farther afield.”

“Why can’t you just hunt here?” asked Sabine, her night vision enabling her to pick out the woolly shapes of sheep in the distance. They were all sleeping right now. Like the mortals of this village, the sheep needed their sleep.

“I’m on the Council, Sabine,” said the man. “It would be foolish, not to mention downright disrespectful.” Sabine snorted.

“They don’t know what you are. What any of us are,” said Sabine. “It’s not like anyone’s going to suspect what you are. We haven’t been found out so far.”

“Sabine, you’re missing the point. I know what the village is concerned about. So hunting their sheep when that’s their main concern is just… stupid, really. Wolves used to be a major problem here. And they still are. Open the inner gates,” said the man.

“Why?” asked Sabine, having noticed the darker tone in his words.

“So I can go into the village,” said the man.

“Okay,” said Sabine, trusting him. As soon as the gates were open, she heard the ladder creak. Uh-oh. In seconds, the thin shape of a man wrapped in a black suit and beige coat was in front of her.

“Stop hunting the sheep here, Sabine!” he hissed at her, the menace in his words replacing the volume that should have been there. He cast a spell to muffle sound.

“But I can’t help it, they taste so delicious and they’re so stupid!” said Sabine. “They taste like apples.” Her mouth watered at the thought, but she flinched when the man growled. It was a wolf’s growl, but in a man’s body.

“I don’t care, Sabine,” he said. “You don’t hunt in your own home. I know that goes against wolf instincts, but we must hunt farther afield for our own safety.”

“Nobody suspects us yet,” Sabine reminded him.

“No, and they won’t unless you keep being stupid,” said the man. Sabine groaned.

“Why do we have to live here anyway?” asked Sabine. “In this stupid little village full of old people.”

“Because, Sabine, the druids have a strong presence everywhere else,” said Mr Sands. “I do have plans to move us, however.”

“Really?” asked Sabine, perking up. “Near the sea?”

“No,” said Mr Sands. “Not near the sea.” 

“Aww,” said Sabine, pouting. “Somewhere with cows, then?”

“Stop thinking with your stomach!” said Mr Sands. “I’ve had to hunt in Silverglade, thanks to your idiocy. But while I was there, I heard something interesting. Something that might help us.”

“And what was that?” asked Sabine.

“There is an eligible bachelorette in Silverglade,” said Mr Sands. Sabine scoffed.

“You tell me not to think with my stomach, but here you are thinking with your-“

“Sabine!” She flinched at his raised voice.

“Sorry,” said Sabine. “I was going to say ‘heart’, though.”

“Sure you were,” said Mr Sands. “Anyway, she is the Baroness of Silverglade but she must marry and have children in order to ‘sow her oats’, as they say.”

“I kind of like how in Jorvik it’s the woman who passes on the family name,” said Sabine. “Not that I have a family name to carry on, though. So, you intend to marry her?”

“Yes, but first I must woo her,” said Mr Sands. “She has her eye on another. A pumpkin farmer, if you can believe that.”

“Ew, pumpkins. Anyway, how do you intend to woo her?” asked Sabine.

“I will return to her every night, and we shall court by moonlight,” said Mr Sands.

“Yeah, when you’re naked. How romantic. Unless she’s into that,” said Sabine.

“Tomorrow, I will take some clothes to the edge of the Hollow Woods and hide them in a tree,” said Mr Sands. “There are many large trees there with hollows big enough to safely hide a change of clothes.”

“Will we ever move there?” asked Sabine.

“Once our relationship progresses enough,” said Mr Sands. “Once she begins to sigh and say ‘if only I could see you in the day, my dear’, I will relocate us to Silverglade Village.”

“Ugh, another village,” said Sabine. “Alright then. How is the hunting there?”

“Mostly sheep and cattle,” said Mr Sands. “You can try to hunt in the Hollow Woods, but just be careful. The druids have a settlement in Valedale Village, which is close to there.”

“Alright,” said Sabine. “So you’ll go out late to woo your woman and I have to stay here to let you back in.”

“Precisely,” said Mr Sands. “You have no reason to be jealous, though. You don’t want to go out and find women. You have yours.”

“You’re not the one freezing your butt off up here waiting for a wolf to show up,” said Sabine. “But alright, I’ll keep doing it. At least I won’t have to do this when we move.”

“Exactly. It shouldn’t take long,” said Mr Sands. He started towards the ladder again. “Just keep your hunting to the fields of Silverglade.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll have to get used to the taste anyway,” said Sabine.

The following night, a black-furred wolf stood at the edge of the Hollow Woods, bathed in moonlight. The Baroness of Silverglade stood on a hill, staring at him, transfixed. He was beautiful. There was intelligence in those bright brown eyes, and, despite his size and the wickedly-sharp claws, she trusted him with her life.

The wolf disappeared into the woods, and the Baroness missed him immediately. But then, moments later, a man stepped out of the woods. Her mysterious midnight man, though he was wearing clothes this time.

“You came back,” she said, smiling.

“Of course I did,” said the man. “I made you a promise, after all.” He stepped closer to her, and the Baroness felt her cheeks and heart warm. Jasper was a nice man, but this… this was her mystery midnight visitor. The one who danced with her in moonlight, who said such sweet things to her, who made her think such improper thoughts. She wanted to kiss him, even though they had only just met. 

As she watched him disappear into the woods in the wee hours of the morning, the Baroness missed her mystery man already. She longed to see him by daylight. But it would be highly improper to ask that of him so soon. So she would wait, until the appropriate time had passed. Then, she would declare her undying love for him and perhaps, someday, propose marriage. But only when the time was right. And anyway, she wanted to enjoy this thrill of courting.


End file.
